Gold Coast - too good for a shipping terminal

Feb 13, 2006

What a difference a week makes.

The mutiny rally has come and gone.
The Bulletin has produced some balanced reporting with some good coverage.
Alice Gorman is a hero in our eyes with her article in the Weekend Bulletin. She does the research and represents the views of the majority.

"I'm anti politicians trying to bamboozle us with bull***t"

"I'm anti further development on what remains the only untouched stretch of public beachfront land remaining on the coast."

The government spin doctors are working overtime. We organize a rally including all volunteers, permits, boats, surfers, speakers etc. and the government whack's up a full page ad.
Peter Beattie claims there is misinformation out there - just trust us. The exact response of tax payers $ spent on ads to divert the Health crisis. It's always someone else's fault.

Lets make no mistake the Shipping Terminal has the backing of Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh.
A local channel 9 new report indicated Anna Bligh has betrayed her roots in backing the shipping terminal.

Let's be bold here - Peter Beattie is definitely on the nose. When the media frenzy continually put pressure on his government change is in the air. Just this week we see indicators of his real attitude with his comments about Anna Bligh caught by a channel 7 crew. Anyone can swear that is no problem but its an indicator of an arrogant attitude that is becoming apparent to more than just those that know him well. The save out spit alliance has had scarce if any direct consultation with Peter Beattie. Does this sound familiar, its not for lack of trying from our group.

The save our spit alliance is not aligned in any way to a political group.
We do however give credit to those who unconditionally back our cause. These people include Dawn Critchlow and Susie Douglas.

Peter Lawlor member for Southport and John-Paul Langbroek member for Surfers Paradise play the political point scoring game of "not in my backyard" but do not categorically oppose a shipping terminal on the gold coast. Both will come under sustained fire for sitting on the fence on this issue.

Here's a prediction Peter Beattie has a break from state politics and then goes federal. Anna Bligh takes the reins and continues the trend with apology after apology after all as the Channel nine report mentioned

"she is a big girl now and [pause] ? a politician."

Some of us believe that Anna is probably towing the party line and that she really is quite upset at being part of a Government that will take away the Gold Coasts most treasured public open space.
The very weak argument is

"We can't let the cruise ship industry sail past"

Oh yes we can - they can go to Brisbane and do what the USS Reagan sailors did and chose to go to the Gold Coast, Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast.

80 Million, 14 Million or what ever figure is plucked out of the air minus degradation to the environment and ongoing dredging is still a drop in the Ocean of our tourist $.

Our new mantra is

"The Gold Coast is too good for a Shipping Terminal"

There are supporters for a terminal. So many people have mentioned that they do not know anyone who is for the terminal. But they are out there, they have a different perspective and as a rule are not the people who currently use the spit.
Then there are those that have bought the local media hype and the spin doctoring and say it's a forgone conclusion.

It's not a forgone conclusion at all - although there are those determined to see it through they are not going to be able to convince the majority that it stacks up. No matter who does the EIS (an independent body we doubt) on this notional project the outcome is going to be an increase in environmental damage to the area. So how much is going to be deemed acceptable.

We think we are going to win this campaign, we are going to prove that putting a terminal on a sandbar river entrance is a ludicrous proposition.
Pollution is impossible to prevent and effect the whole area. EIS or not a shipping terminal adds to the pollution of this area. So how much is acceptable to a beaurocrat that does not visit the area?

One day we will wake up and this notional project will placed where it should be - in the bin.